Airport beach with toddlers not booked through cruise line

[Tier1Terrier]

Our ship stops in St. Maarten and because our kids (two 3 year old boys) are fascinated with airplanes, we though the Airport beach would be the BEST thing to do.

 

Is it worthwhile to book this through the cruise line or just do it on our own. Our biggest concerns are safety getting to and from the beach. We've never travelled without our own vehicle with our children, so car seats have never been an issue. How do parents deal with getting rides to and from these types of 'activities' if they don't book through the cruise?

 

Any other tips, ideas, or suggestions regarding this 'excursion' with our toddlers would be greatly appreciated.

[MtnsToSea]

We did a tour with Bernard's Tours. One of the stops was Maho Beach (airport beach). We stayed about an hour, he timed it so we would be there when the BIG planes came in. Other stops included an iguana farm (he fed them so there were hundreds coming out to greet us), a beach stop (90 mins on the family-friendly end of Orient Beach), Marigot to eat and shop (French side, everyone went to Saraphina's), another stop with sea creatures to see and hold.

I mention all this because it was very kid-friendly. Lots of stops to keep them interested. Maho Beach at the airport was super crowded the day we were there and from recent pictures and reviews it looks as though the already small beach has eroded immensely. It is not a beach to play in the water or sit in the sand.

There were also a lot of traffic jams on our return, which our driver was able to get around and get us back in time. We had a lot of pier runners that day!

Definitely, get some other opinions but I just wanted to share our experience.

Maho is a must-see! We loved St. Martin!

[navybankerteacher]

Coastal auto rental - pretty reliable, has an office right at the pier. They do have children's car seats - you would have to reserve in advance, specifying need for seats. I do not know if ship's tours would provide car seats, but I am sure they could advise. With two three year old boys you might want to have the flexibility of your own car (I raised twin boys, so I know that it can be important to control the itinerary).

[Karysa]

I would suggest posting your question on the Family Board. You should be able to get your questions answered there. I know that there are mandatory seatbelt laws on the island.

[E23NK1]

We did a tour with Bernard's Tours. One of the stops was Maho Beach (airport beach). We stayed about an hour, he timed it so we would be there when the BIG planes came in. Other stops included an iguana farm (he fed them so there were hundreds coming out to greet us), a beach stop (90 mins on the family-friendly end of Orient Beach), Marigot to eat and shop (French side, everyone went to Saraphina's), another stop with sea creatures to see and hold.

I mention all this because it was very kid-friendly. Lots of stops to keep them interested. Maho Beach at the airport was super crowded the day we were there and from recent pictures and reviews it looks as though the already small beach has eroded immensely. It is not a beach to play in the water or sit in the sand.

There were also a lot of traffic jams on our return, which our driver was able to get around and get us back in time. We had a lot of pier runners that day!

Definitely, get some other opinions but I just wanted to share our experience.

Maho is a must-see! We loved St. Martin!

 

 

That's my fear with not booking thru the cruise line...not making it back in time...we are considering Bernard's Tours for our upcoming cruise in April..have read good things

[Karysa]

Bernard has to travel the same way as taxis. Do your homework and leave plenty of time to get back to town or the ship just like Bernard does. I can understand feeling safer on a cruise tour in regards to not missing the ship but I have never understood why people feel safer with Bernard. The ship will not wait for Bernard unless the ship rents him out. :)

[LuCruise]

Bernard has to travel the same way as taxis. Do your homework and leave plenty of time to get back to town or the ship just like Bernard does. I can understand feeling safer on a cruise tour in regards to not missing the ship but I have never understood why people feel safer with Bernard. The ship will not wait for Bernard unless the ship rents him out. :)

I know there is always a first time, but anyone know if Bernard has ever had an issue getting back to port in time?

 

We are coming with kids and are deciding between Bernard or just going to Little Divi on our own.

 

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[utopiahereicome]

Lots of reviews for him on Trip Advisor, that would be the best place to look.

We used him the last time we ported at St. Martin and had an awesome time!

We also rented a Jeep there one year and we drove around ourselves - I vowed never to do that again, as it was stressful trying to find what we wanted to see, manage the traffic on unfamiliar streets, and I felt like I was always watching the clock and worrying about getting back to the ship on time as I had no clear idea of how long it would take to get from place to place.

His business depends on getting customers back to their ships on time, every time, he knows the island and traffic patterns, and he has been doing this for a long time - I trusted him more than I trusted myself in navigating the island!

Just my humble opinion...

[royaloakie]

We have toured twice with Bernard. Both with his private tours. Once without children and most recently with our three year old grandson. Bernard supplied a car seat upon request and took us for a couple of hours to Divi beach, which was perfect for the little one and the adults loved it. We then did the iguana farm, Marigot for lunch and ended at the beach to watch planes. He will do whatever you ask. It is fairly pricey but he is very dependable. He has been doing this a long time and responded to emails efficiently. You will have to pay for the three year olds on RCCL tours also. Have fun.

[LuCruise]

Thank you utopiahereicome and royaloakie for the feedback on Bernard. We've heard good things and good to hear of the positive feedback and of him getting everyone back on time.

 

royaloakie , your private tour sounds perfect since we are not thrilled with Orient and would love to go to Little Divi (but Orient is better than the no beach option). However, the private tour is a bit too pricey for us.

[Karysa]

I know there is always a first time, but anyone know if Bernard has ever had an issue getting back to port in time?

 

We are coming with kids and are deciding between Bernard or just going to Little Divi on our own.

 

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I have never read that Bernard missed getting his passengers back to the ship on time. I have never read that about any tour or tour guide here. I also have never read about anyone posting that their table mates, roll call buddies, or folks that they met on board missing the ship because they left from Maho or Orient with plenty of time to spare either. That was my point. If you do your research and plan well especially leaving from the very popular Maho you will not miss the ship even if you taxi instead of tour. Thousands of people will do just that, this week alone. :)

Edited January 18, 2016 by Karysa